Northern Book Blogger reviewing books of all genres and trying new things.

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26 January 2018

Blog Tour: The Girl Before by JP Delaney

Please make a list of every possession you consider essential to your life.

The request seems odd, even intrusive - and for the two women who answer, the consequences are devastating.

Emma

Reeling from a traumatic break-in, Emma wants a new place to live. But none of the apartments she sees are affordable or feel safe. Until One Folgate Street. The house is an architectural masterpiece: a minimalist design of pale stone, plate glass, and soaring ceilings. But there are rules. The enigmatic architect who designed the house retains full control: no books, no throw pillows, no photos or clutter or personal effects of any kind. The space is intended to transform its occupant - and it does.

Jane

After a personal tragedy, Jane needs a fresh start. When she finds One Folgate Street, she is instantly drawn to the space - and to its aloof but seductive creator. Moving in, Jane soon learns about the untimely death of the home's previous tenant, a woman similar to Jane in age and appearance. As Jane tries to untangle truth from lies, she unwittingly follows the same patterns, makes the same choices, crosses paths with the same people, and experiences the same terror as the girl before.

This story is quite dark and brooding, and a little chilling, in part due to the mental health of the alternate narrators, and exasperated by the stark setting.

I liked how none of the narrators were reliable. They had their own agendas. This did mean it was difficult to get behind them, but it made the mystery more compelling. Although I didn't like them, I needed to know their stories.

That house though? It sounds amazing. It felt like a character itself. And a bit Black Mirror-ish.

There was a lot of sex in this book, and it did feel quite out of place with the rest of the story. I get that the relationships between the "girls" and Monkford were the major plot point, but such graphic descriptions weren't quite necessary.

The twist in this story completely blindsided me, I was not expecting it at all. That's not something that happens often, so for this the book really stands out.